


luz overload

by LydiaOfNarnia



Category: Band of Brothers
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Gen, M/M, Meet the Family, Weddings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-11
Updated: 2017-07-11
Packaged: 2018-11-30 21:36:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,388
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11472162
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LydiaOfNarnia/pseuds/LydiaOfNarnia
Summary: They both know what being invited to a Luz family gathering means. In the past Joe has managed to avoid being roped into one, but there’ll be no getting out of it this time. Mama Luz is determined to meet her son’s boyfriend, and they’ll be getting on a plane in a month whether they like it or not.They’re going to Hawaii.(written for the Tumblr prompt:"I don't want to go. Your dad doesn't like me.")





	luz overload

**Author's Note:**

> Of course, the characters in this fic are based off of their fictional portrayals from the miniseries Band of Brothers, and I mean no disrespect to the real-life veterans!
> 
> Find me on tumblr at [renelemaires](http://renelemaires.tumblr.com/)!

It’s not like George really has a choice here.

It’s his sister’s wedding. That’s not a thing you’re allowed to just miss, even when you have five other sisters who’ve all either been through the wedding ordeal before or are dreading the day it’s their turn.

“You’ve got to come,” his mother tells him in her rapid-fire Portuguese that George has to struggle to keep up with over the phone. “You were there for Maria’s wedding, there for Joey’s, and you know that none of us even thought Dia was _going_ to get married, what with that whole religious thing, and then living in that lion’s den –”

“It was a frat house, _Mamã,_ and I’ve seen worse, trust me.” His sister is only five years older than George – why _she’d_ been labelled the inevitable spinster of the family George has no clue, but he’s glad it’s Dorothy getting married instead of one of his little sisters. No matter how much Rita blabbers on about her future wedding to one of her boy band members, if George knows one thing for sure it’s that middle school is _too young._

“You’re coming, Georgie,” his mother says, and George knows better than to argue with his mother when she’s using that tone. “You and your boy.”

“Mom, his name is Joe, he’s older than me, we’ve been dating for –”

“Long enough that we should have met him by now!” There’s a lilt of devilish glee to his mother’s tone. “We’ll see you both there, _amorzinho!”_

Phone conversations with his mother invariably leave George exhausted, affectionate, and a little confused. It’s a complicated cocktail of emotions. When Joe walks into the living room and finds him on the couch staring at the blank TV, he’s surprised he doesn’t make an about-face and get as far away as possible. It’s the sensible thing to do. Then again, Joe has always been more loyal than sensible.

He settles down on the couch next to George instead, pulling the TV remote from between the couch cushions.

“Lemme guess,” Joe says. “Your family’s doing something again.”

“My sister’s getting married,” says George.

“That’s nice. Congrats.”

“In Hawaii.”

 _“That_ sort of wedding.” Joe lets out a gravelly chuckle, flipping through Friday night primetime with minimal interest. “Fancy, at least. Nice location.”

“We’re invited,” George says, and finally turns to Joe with wide, slightly apprehensive eyes. He sees the moment his words register in Joe’s brain; he sits straighter, eyebrows shooting up, and gapes at George with an expression that belies how much he doesn’t want to believe him.

They both know what being _invited_ to a Luz family gathering means. In the past Joe has managed to avoid being roped into one, but there’ll be no getting out of it this time. Mama Luz is determined to meet her son’s boyfriend, and they’ll be getting on a plane in a month whether they like it or not.

They’re going to Hawaii.

* * *

 

“I don’t want to go.”

George knows this. Joe has made this very, very clear, especially after the fifth time he said it.

There’s a time and a place for bitching, however, and in the middle of packing their bags, with their plane due to leave in four hours, is not the time. He’d never tell his boyfriend to shut up (especially not when he’s getting on a plane with him to spend a week with his insane family) but he wishes Joe would stop running his mouth so much and start using his impressive arms to haul their luggage out to the car.

Instead, Joe is standing cross-armed in the doorway – goddamn _sulking_ – while George rushes around making sure they’ve remembered to pack everything they’ll need. “Your dad doesn’t like me.”

“You met my dad _once,_ and that was over Skype. He doesn’t realize you’re supposed to talk into the computer. He’s a very pleasant man when you actually get face to face with him. He’ll like you.”

“I don’t fly well. I get airsick.”

“You’ve never gotten airsick in your freakin’ life,” George retorts, stuffing the last of his underwear into their shared suitcase before beginning to struggle with the zipper. “I’ve been on a plane with you, remember? You fly fine.”

“Yeah, when I’m headed somewhere I wanna be.” Joe comes up behind him, placing his hands over George’s, and together they pull the suitcase closed. The action is so easy that it is almost robotic; neither one of them give it a thought. “I’d rather not be thrown into the deep end of the Luz genepool without a lifevest.”

George can’t help but smirk, but his expression morphs into one of horror as the thought of his entire family at a pool party fills his mind with chaos. He doesn’t want to entertain the thought; he’ll be on his way to a stress aneurysm in no time. Compared to that, sharing a fancy hotel with his numerous relatives sounds almost like paradise.

He really does smile. Joe always knows how to cheer him up – even if he doesn’t mean to.

His boyfriend is still pressed against his back; George turns, looping his arms around Joe’s neck and running his fingers along the back of his head in the way that never fails to calm Joe down. “You live with me. I think you’ve learned how to swim already.”

“George, you have nine siblings. Your ma has six; your dad has eleven. Your family is big enough to populate a small country, and I’m telling you they’re all gonna –”

Joe cuts himself off, brow furrowing. George waits expectantly. “What?” he prompts after the silence stretches a beat too long. “Come on, don’t hold out on me.”

Joe sighs, and can’t meet George’s eyes when he speaks again. “They’re not gonna think I’m good enough for you.”

 _There_ is the root of all Joe’s bitching, all his moodiness and anxiety over the past few days. His insecurity is deep, poignant in the worst way, and it’s weighing heavily on his mind. Still, the idea of his family not approving of Joe is so ludicrous that George can’t help it; he snorts out loud.

“Why would you think a thing like that?”

Joe’s eyes flash with annoyance, masking something sharper and more deeply-entrenched. _“Look_ at me, idiot. I’m a guy who never even went to college, and can’t even be in the military anymore because I’ve got one leg. I ain’t exactly a catch.”

“Shut up,” George tells him, and this time he couldn’t mean it more. “You’re the catchiest catch. Don’t think like that.”

“Don’t try to reassure me.”

“I’m not!” George isn’t sure whether the pout on Joe’s face makes him want to hug his boyfriend or kiss him senseless. “My oldest brother married a girl he met at Hooters. Her name’s Stephanie, and she’s fantastic, but d’you think she wasn’t nervous about meeting us for the first time? Hell yeah she was.”

Joe raises an eyebrow; George can see he’s got his attention, so he runs with it. “We all thought she was great. My ma adopted her as soon as she saw her. By the time they got married, she was so family to us that it was almost incest.” He waits for the smirk tugging at Joe’s lips to wear him down enough that he gives in to it; when he sees the light return to Joe’s face, he can’t help but smile back.

“They’re gonna love you, and you know why? Cause I love you. Simple as that.”

Joe’s smirk softens into a full-blown smile. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“You seem pretty sure about that.”

There’s not a doubt in George’s mind. “That’s cause I am.”

When Joe leans in, his kiss is sweet and gentle. George, used to heated passion and adventurous hands, is somewhat taken aback, but gives himself up to this gentler side of Joe quickly. Cupping his boyfriend’s face with one hand, he holds him close for a moment before allowing Joe to pull away.

“You gonna be a pain in the ass on the plane?” Joe mutters, and George grins.

“You bet.”

In the end, it doesn’t really matter what his family thinks of Joe – though George knows they’re all going to love him. He loves this man to death, and that’s what really counts.

* * *

 

George’s family is fun.

They’re fun in the way that it’s fun to ride your car through a hurricane, or to light up a cigarette while standing in a puddle of gasoline. They’re exciting; there’s a never a quiet moment when they all get together. They’re loud. They’re over-the-top. They’re outgoing. They’re thrilling. They’re absolutely freaking wild.

George loves his family to death, and he’ll be the first to admit he fits right in with them. He’s at home in the chaos of a room filled with shouting and laughter. His family is a close-knit one, and all the kids were raised on the virtues of good humor, hard work, and loyalty.

The thing about living in another state as his relatives is that he doesn’t get to see them often. Sure, he texts his siblings all the time, and he always calls his parents to catch up with them, but there are hundreds of miles of distance between them. He isn’t the only one -- Mary lives in Connecticut with her husband, Jamie moved to New York once he finished college, and Louisa is getting her degree all the way out in California. The Luz brood is far spread. Holidays are really the only time everyone can manage to get together.

Weddings are a whole different kind of monster.

At a wedding, everyone is invited -- that includes aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews, and grandbabies. No one is left behind, and if you opt out of coming you’ll be the subject of scorn in the family gossip tree for months to come. There is no getting out of a wedding, and the weddings are far more chaotic than the holidays.

He’s not sure what Joe is expecting when he steps into the hotel lobby, but it’s probably not having two small bodies slam into him like twin freight trains.

The one in pigtails goes sprawling on the ground; the one in the hat barely manages to recover after bouncing off of Joe’s iron abs. They gape up at him with identical pairs of brown eyes before the one still standing takes a step back.

“S-s-sorry, Mister…”

George isn’t at all worried for the safety of the kids; he’s worried Joe’s gonna get kicked out of the hotel for making them cry. He knows how scary Joe’s glower can be to people who haven’t seen it before, so he swoops to the rescue before anyone can burst into tears. “Hey! Thing One and Thing Two! Does your mom know you’re running through here like a couple’a animals?”  
In an instant, the kids faces switch from terrified to gleeful. “Uncle Georgie!” the girl shrieks, while the boy barrels into him and throws his arms around his waist. George hugs back for a quick moment before helping his cousin off of the ground.

“Hey, kids! Where's your Ma, huh?”

It’s a pointless question. The hotel is crawling with Luzes. He can make out several of his aunts arguing at the front desk (god help that poor receptionist), spots his grandpa waiting for the elevator, and there are more cousins than he can count racing through the lobby on each others’ heels.

Joe’s eyes are wide. He’s so overwhelmed by Luz Overload that he only snaps back to attention when George jabs an elbow in his ribs. “Uhh, sorry,” he coughs, offering the kids a half-smile. “Didn’t mean to knock you over.”

The twins echo his apology hastily, and after one last hug for George are quick to scamper away. When Joe turns to his boyfriend, dismay is written all over his face.

“Were they scared of me?”

They were terrified of Joe. It was incredible. “Nah, no, no way. They’re just shy. We’re a shy family, all of us. You’ll get used to it.”

As Joe ventures over to the desk to check in, George can’t hide the gleeful smile that creeps across his face. If Joe is going to be able to intimidate all of the Luz relatives like that, he might have a secret weapon in his hands.

* * *

 

Strategic employment of Joe’s face is useful in two different ways.

He’s scarily effective at warding off the more obnoxious of George’s cousins -- one well-placed glare from Joe sends them running for the hills. For the first time, George finds himself without a dozen children hanging off his arms, and it is glorious.

Joe also proves irresistible to older women. Everyone from George’s aunts to his grandmother’s numerous sisters can’t keep their hands off of him. George is pretty sure Joe’s never had his cheeks pinched this much in his life; he tolerates his aunts’ intrusive questions, and even wandering hands, with grace.

George has thrown Joe to the wolves, and he has no shame.

The rehearsal dinner is that night, and Joe spends the entirety of the time being accosted by George’s many family members. He’s kept so busy that George doesn’t get a chance to stand next to him all evening long -- not that George has any more free time. He’s been consumed by the mass of his siblings, and there’s really no way out once they’ve got their claws on him.

“Georgie, what do you think of my dress?” his sister Louisa demands, smoothing down her bright lavender frock. “Is it too tight?”

Next to her, wearing a much more revealing (and much tighter) dress, Marienna rolls her eyes. “It fit when you got it. Maybe you should stop eating so much pasta --”

“My pasta is ten times better than your shitty Weight Watchers crap!”

“Is Weight Watchers even real food?” George asks absently, busy tying the bow on the back of Rita’s dress. He places a hand on her shoulder to keep her from squirming, but all the sugary _Pasteis de Nata_ she ate with the other cousins must be hitting her hard, because she can’t hold still. They’re both doing their best to ignore Lou and Mari’s bickering; the two have been at each others’ throats all day over some imagined offense.

“No,” Lou replies and the exact same time Mari exclaims, “Yes it is!”

“Well, it’s clearly not working.”

That’s the last straw. When Marienna aims a swipe at Louisa with her bouquet, Louisa leans back. Her hand fumbles until she finds a can of hairspray, and she thrusts it forward with her finger on the trigger. “Try it! Come on!”

“Hey, hey, hey!” George is ready to intervene, but before he can get the chance, a hand swoops from above and snatches the can out of Louisa’s grasp. With his other hand, their brother Raymond holds Marienna back from advancing. George turns to face him, crossing his arms as his brother weighs the hairspray in his hand. “Jesus, kid,” he says, “you grow a foot every time I see you.”

“I’ve got all the good genes in the family,” Ray says, breaking into an impish grin. “Not my fault everyone else got the crappy ones.”

For a fifteen year old, Ray is already a full head and shoulders above most of the family. It isn’t fair -- he’s a freak of nature, in George’s opinion. Luzes are short and proud of it. Wherever they found Ray as a kid, they should put him back before someone goes full Jack and the Beanstalk on him.

“Ray says we’re all short because Dad dropped us when we were kids,” Rita pipes up. George rolls his eyes, spinning her around to inspect the front of her dress.

“Yeah, yeah, we all know that one. He dropped you too, Ray. Maybe he oughta dropped you a couple more times.”

“Hey, Georgie!” a sharp voice suddenly calls from the other side of the room. “You see Tall, Dark, and Handsome out there? The one who looks like he should be half-naked on Sports Illustrated instead of wearing a tux?”

George doesn’t have to bother looking to see who _that_ is. “Yeah?”

“He belong to you?”

“He does, and he’s my boyfriend, so watch your mouth, Vicky.”

Long arms loop around his neck, and when he looks over his shoulder he is met with his sister’s freckled, smirking face. “He’s a nice catch,” Victoria says. Her voice is genuine; George can the approval brimming in her light words. “Just thought you’d like to know. Mom’s gonna love him.”

“Well, thanks for the endorsement,” George replies.

“Hey, he’s been juggling Lillie half the night. Any guy that can keep up with her’s got my approval in a heartbeat. I’ll marry him if you don’t.”

George raises his eyebrows, and for the first time notes the conspicuous absence of his sister’s four year old daughter. Wherever Victoria goes, Lillie usually follows. He figured she would finally be old enough to run with the other cousins now, but for her to take a shine to Joe instead?

Typical. Lillie would be as fearless as her mother.

“Joe’s great with kids. He’ll watch out for her,” George says. Part of this is a lie -- Joe is awful with kids. As much as George has been exploiting him tonight, Joe is self-conscious about the knowledge that he has a habit of intimidating children. It’s nothing he does, just his scowl, and his usual abrasive demeanor. Old ladies find it charming, little kids are terrified. As a result, Joe’s awkward around kids. He doesn’t know what to do with them or how to entertain them; everytime Joe’s niece and nephew come for a visit, George has to take over entertainment duties.

He has no clue how Joe’s managing the ball of energy that is his sister’s daughter, but as long as he lets no harm come to Lillie, everyone should be safe. (Victoria is laid-back, but she’d kill if anything ever happened to her kid.)

“Are we almost done?” Louisa asks, raising her voice to be heard over the new argument that’s sprung up between Ray and Mari. “Beth just texted that she’s waiting downstairs.”

George rolls his eyes. His sister’s hair is nowhere near finished -- but knowing Lou, she’d be content with a messy bun.  
“Yeah, yeah, go find your girlfriend. Don’t do anything dirty in the dress, wait ‘til tomorrow night.”

“Yeah, I’m sure you will too,” Louisa retorts, casting a wink over her shoulder before slipping out of the room. The rest of the sisters -- and Ray -- snicker at him. George closes his eyes and tries to hold in a sigh. Whose idea was it to make the four youngest girls share a hotel room?

Oh, of course -- the entire Luz family managed to overbook the hotel. _That’s_ right.

A tug on his arm draws his attention back to his youngers sister, who has an mess of hair ties in her hands. “Georgie, can you braid my hair?”

He looks down at his sister’s warm brown eyes -- a perfect mirror of his own -- and finds himself grinning. “Sure, kid,” he replies, and steers her over to the nearest chair.

They’re wild, but George loves his family.

* * *

 

Couples get their own rooms. That was the rule Dorothy laid out and was insistent upon to the hotel staff. George supposes he has his girlfriend to thank for getting to share a room with Joe, instead of having to split a double bed with Ray and Jamie. (Louisa, due to inviting her girlfriend last minute, was forced to share with her sisters anyway. She hasn’t stopped bitching since they got to the hotel.)

“Holy shit,” Joe mutters as he sinks down to the bed. “Your family is nuts.”

“Ain’t it great?” George casts a glance back at his boyfriend, half-amused and half-sympathetic. Joe really does look worn out, and it's nowhere near close to the end of the night. “We’ve got dinner in forty minutes.”

Joe groans. “Can you wake me up in fifteen?”

“I’ll do you one better than that.” George creeps over to the side of the bed and bends to press a kiss to Joe’s forehead. Stress melts from Joe’s face like sweat on a hot day, and George smiles as he brushes a hand through his boyfriend’s hair. “I’ll wake you just before we have to leave.”

“I’ve gotta get ready.”

“Nah, you look great.” Joe is already wearing a dress-shirt and very flattering black pants; he wears the suit jacket hanging on the back of the chair just as well. “Get some rest, okay?”

Joe hums, and George can tell that’s all the response he’s going to get out of him for awhile. He returns to the mirror and fusses over his hair a little more before slipping out of into the hallway.

The room to the left is occupied by his parents. The room to the right houses his oldest sister Maria, her husband, and their three kids. He has to travel to the end of the hallway to get to the room he knows belongs to the bride.

He expects it to be empty, but it surprised to hear the sound of voices drifting from beneath Dia’s doorway. Frowning, he raises a hand to knock, but hesitates. Dia should be down entertaining the guests; why she would be up in her room is beyond him, but maybe she doesn’t want to be bothered.

Then again, it sounds like she’s being bothered enough already. He doesn’t hesitate before rapping his knuckles on the door and letting himself in.

He wishes he could be surprised by what he finds. He isn’t, really.

His sister in law Stephanie has her long blonde hair twined up in a bun. Her arms are crossed over her chest. She looks exasperated, in the familiar way that George knows means she’s seconds away from giving up. “Dia, you gotta go down now. Come on. Everybody’s looking for you.”

The lump of blankets in the bed -- which is presumably Dia -- doesn’t so much as twitch. “Don’t care. I’m tired.”

“We’re all tired. It’s your wedding.”

“So I should be able to sleep as much as I want.”

Stephanie rolls her eyes and turns to George, waving a hand in the direction of the bed. George shrugs in reply. They both know how Dia can get, but it’s inconvenient that it’s happening during her wedding at all times.

He moves towards the edge of the bed, and sees a single dark eye peering out from the mass of covers. He offers his sister a smile before sitting down. “What’s up? Too many people? Annoying people? Runaway bride syndrome? Talk to me, Dia.”

His sister snorts, and George feels some appendage smack him in the thigh. “You’re not funny.”

“I’m hilarious. Now tell your favorite brother your deal, cause there’s kind of a whole wedding down there, and it ain’t waiting for you.”

“I’m tired.” Finally, a head full of messy hair pops out of the blankets. Dia’s pout is accentuated by smeared lipstick and smudging eyeliner. She looks more like a sad clown than a bride.

Over his shoulder, he hears Stephanie let out a crow of laughter. He ignores her. “You’re a damn mess.”

“I know.” Dia rests her chin on his leg, blinking up at him. “I want to hide out in here.”

“Mom will track you down.”

“I’ll lock the door.”

“She’ll march down to the front desk and get her own key. Or she’ll scale the balcony, climb in through the window. We  
know her, remember?”

His sister sighs, her eyes slipping shut again. George feels a pang of sympathy. Dia isn’t fond of a lot of social interaction in general, and he can imagine the family has been running her ragged for a lot longer than one day. He doubts she has any reservations about getting married; he’s seen Dia and Jack together, and they’re so in love that it’s disgusting. Dia just would have been happier with a simpler wedding. Of course, with a family this size (and a mother like theirs) it’s either Big White Wedding or bust.

“Georgie, you brought your boyfriend, right?” Stephanie suddenly speaks up. Dia’s attention is snared; she lifts her head, eyes wide and curious as George nods.

“Yup. Joe. He’s gonna be down at the dinner in a little bit. I could introduce you if you want.”

“I’d like that,” Dia says.

“But…” He levels a stern glare on his sister, who shrinks back guiltily. “That means you gotta be there.”

Dia’s lips purse. She frowns, lips jutting out in a childish pout. A puff of stray bangs fall over her face, and she deliberates for a long moment before George sees her shoulders slump.

“Steph,” the beleaguered bride says, “get my shoes.”

* * *

 

An hour later the rehearsal party is in full swing, and George gets his chance to watch Joe fight to keep his head above water in a sea of Luzes.

Somehow -- after Joe has escaped the mob of George’s aunts and grandmothers -- he winds up in a gaggle of George’s sisters. When George spots them, he isn't surprised. Victoria is practically hanging off of Joe’s broad shoulders, Louisa is chattering away at his arm, and Marianna has her phone out and is giggling over something she's trying to show Joe. For his part, Joe looks helpless and confused. George considers rescuing him, but decides that he can hold his own for the time being. Exposure to the Luz females can be exhausting, but it builds character.

He gets swept up in a conversation with a few of his cousins, and when he next locates Joe he’s sitting near the far side of the room with a half-eaten pastry in hand and a toddler balanced on his knee.

“Hey, Lillie Flower,” George chirps, kneeling at the tiny girl’s side. He extends his hand for a high five, which Lillie returns with enthusiasm. Her grin is almost as bright as George’s own when he lifts his head to meet his boyfriend.

“Starting your fan club pretty young, huh?”

“She's a sweetheart,” Joe says, and adjusts Lillie on his knee. “Talks a lot. All I've been doing is listening to her. No wonder she likes me more than you, you don't know how to shut up.”

“I can, when I feel like it,” George chirps, running a hand through Lillie’s tangled mop of blonde curls. Then he brings it up to Joe’s face; ten skin is smooth beneath his touch. George has to resist the urge to lean in and kiss him in front of everyone.

“Have you met my older siblings yet? Joey is out there tearing up the dance floor with Steph, but Maria’s around here somewhere. She's got three boys, little. You seen ‘em?”

“Does one of ‘em look like a mini you?”

“Yup, that'd be the oldest one.”

“I think I scared them off.” Joe looks regretful, and a little uncomfortable. “I told ‘em to stop running around the waiters. Didn't yell or anything, but I guess…” He trails off, frowning, and George reaches a hand out to rub his shoulder. He hates seeing Joe upset, especially over something he didn't even mean to do.

Lillie reaches a tiny hand up to pat Joe’s cheek. “You look scary,” she says, “but you're really nice. I like you lots.”

George claps his boyfriend on the shoulder. “See? She likes you. What other approval do you need?”

Nevertheless, George makes sure to track down his nephews later on. He drags them over to Joe and introduces him as his boyfriend. The children are at first reticent; but, as expected of Luz children, it isn't long before they’re rowdily marveling at Joe’s prosthetic leg and getting way too excited. Rather than being annoyed, Joe seems relieved.

As it turns out, the approval of George’s parents is especially important to him, and he gets his chance when Mama Luz swoops down in her feathers dress, like a multicolored bird of prey going in for the kill. _“Oh, meu coração!”_ she exclaims. “Georgie, you brought him!”

She doesn't hesitate for a moment before pulling Joe into a tight hug. Joe gapes at George from over his mother’s breasts, wide-eyed and pleading for help. George knows better than to get involved. “Oh, such a handsome boy,” his mother goes on, cupping Joe’s face in her palm. “Strong jaw, great bone structure -- lovely eyes! I can guess, don't tell me -- Puerto Rican?”

Joe looks a bit flustered as he nods. With a name like Toye, that's not the first nationality people tend to pin on him. “And Irish,” he adds, which only makes George's mother grin even wider.

 _“Um homem bonito,_ Georgie,” she declares, pumping Joe’s hand up and down with enthusiasm. “It is wonderful to meet you, Joe! Now, we've got to get to know each other -- have you had enough food? Georgie, go get Joe some more _caldo verde._ Let's sit down together!”

George smirks, and abandons Joe to the one-woman hurricane that is his mother. He'll be fine… he thinks. Joe can handle himself, but his mother is the fiercest woman George has ever met.

Much later that night, his eyes scan the room for Joe only to see him sitting alone in the corner of the room -- next to another familiar figure. Joe and Dia sit in content silence, neither one of them eager to talk. It's clear so much human interaction has worn them both out; they're grateful for whatever small peace they can find. Dia’s eyes are closed as she rests her cheek against her palm, and Joe is so content that he might not even realize he's sitting next to the bride.

Somehow, George isn't surprised at all.

* * *

 

“Well?” George says at the end of the night, one arm wrapped around Joe’s bare waist as their legs twine together beneath the covers. “Did you survive day one of The Luz Experience?”

“George,” Joe mutters, “if I never see another screaming kid again it’ll be too soon.”

“My aunts sure liked you.”

“My cheeks still hurt. Does Aunt Rosa wear fake nails?”

“No, she just can’t use a damn nail file. She’s got talons, like a falcon.” George’s fingers trace feather-light patterns along Joe’s back. “I’m surprised you got along with the kids so well.”

“You’re a big kid. I’ve had practice.”

George snorts, thinking of Joe with his own niece and nephew. Maybe he’s just got a talent for dealing with Luz children in general (George will be the first to admit he’s a giant kid). Joe leans back into his hand as George begins to massage the tight muscles of his shoulders, and after a moment he lets out a soft groan.

George wonders if his parents can hear that from the room next door. Eh, it wouldn’t be the first time.

“My family loved you,” he whispers against the shell of Joe’s ear. “Everybody. Even Dia, and she takes a while to warm up to everyone. Even my mom.”

“You dad too. He’s a great guy.”

George thinks of Joe’s previous apprehension about his father, and can’t help but grin. For all that he’d been worried about before, George’s family proved him wrong.

Sure, they’re still a handful. They’re still absolutely wild, and now Joe can definitely see where George inherited everything from. When all’s said and done, however, George adores his family. His family adores Joe, and he’s thrilled that Joe feels the same way about them.

“Better get a good night’s sleep,” he whispers. “We’ve still got to survive the rest of the week.”

Joe’s groan is so loud that is echoes throughout the room. Seconds later a bang sounds from the far wall, followed by a loud shout that can only come from his mother. “Georgie, if you two don’t keep it down I’ll come in there and gag you myself!”

Joe presses a pillow over his face as George descends into a fit of silent laughter. Sure, they might be on the other side of the country, but it’s good to be home.

He hopes that one day soon Joe will be able to consider George’s family his home too.


End file.
